Title: Self referencing attosecond interferometer with zeptosecond precision

Abstract

In this work we demonstrate the generation of two intense, ultrafast laser pulses that allow a controlled interferometric measurement of higher harmonic generation pulses with 12.8 attoseconds in resolution (half the atomic unit of time) and a precision as low as 680 zeptoseconds (10–21 seconds). We create two replicas of a driving femtosecond pulse which share the same optical path except at the focus where they converge to two foci. An attosecond pulse train emerges from each focus through the process of high harmonic generation. The two attosecond pulse trains from each focus interfere in the far field producing a clear interference pattern in the extreme ultraviolet region. By controlling the relative optical phase (carrier envelope phase for pulsed fields) between the two driving laser pulses we are able to actively influence the delay between the pulses and are able to perform very stable and precise pump-probe experiments. Because of the phase shaping operation occurs homogeneously across the entire spatial profile, we effectively create two indistinguishable intense laser pulses or a common path interferometer for attosecond pulses. Commonality across the two beams means that they are extremely stable to environmental and mechanical fluctuations up to a Rayleigh range from themore » focus. In our opinion this represents an ideal source for homodyne and heterodyne spectroscopic measurements with sub-attosecond precision.« less

Authors:

Tross, Jan; Kolliopoulos, Georgios; Trallero-Herrero, Carlos A.

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Trallero-Herrero, Carlos A."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-9776-8125"

Publication Date:

Fri Jul 26 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Research Org.:

Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States); Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC)

OSTI Identifier:

1545179

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1610057

Grant/Contract Number:  

FG02-86ER13491; SC0019098

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Optics Express

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Optics Express Journal Volume: 27 Journal Issue: 16; Journal ID: ISSN 1094-4087

Publisher:

Optical Society of America (OSA)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Optics